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Family Caregiver Pay Map · Washington · Verified October 19, 2026

Washington: Who Can Be a Paid Family Caregiver Under Medicaid

Washington pays family members and friends as individual providers employed by Consumer Direct Care Network Washington, the single state-contracted employer, under Community First Choice and Medicaid Personal Care; a spouse cannot be paid under Apple Health long-term services, and family members cannot be paid through a licensed home care agency.

Spouse
No
Adult child / other relatives
Yes
Friends / neighbors
Yes
Parent of a minor child
Not yet verified

Who can be paid: Adult children, siblings, other relatives, friends and neighbors who enroll as individual providers through the state's contracted employer; not a spouse.

The Home Care Agency is a free enrollment matching service — not a home care agency, not a Medicaid plan, and not a government agency. This research is educational. Eligibility, authorized hours and payment are always determined by the state program and, where applicable, the managed care plan.

The programs behind the answer

Community First Choice and Medicaid Personal Care (state plan)

Administered by Washington DSHS Aging and Long-Term Support Administration.

  • Who employs the caregiver: State pays the caregiver
  • Waitlist: No waitlist
  • Type: State plan entitlement (serves everyone who qualifies)
  • Individual providers are employed by Consumer Direct Care Network Washington, the single state-contracted employer; home care agencies may not bill for family-member workers except narrow statutory exceptions

COPES waiver

Administered by Washington DSHS Aging and Long-Term Support Administration.

  • Who employs the caregiver: State pays the caregiver
  • Waitlist: Not yet verified
  • Personal care delivered by the same individual providers and agencies

How to apply in Washington

We do not yet have partner agencies in Washington. Start with the program's administering agency — Washington DSHS Aging and Long-Term Support Administration — using the official sources below; the state determines eligibility and enrolls participants.

Official sources

Facts on this page were last reviewed October 19, 2026 against the sources above. Program rules change; confirm with the program before making decisions. Method: how the Pay Map is verified.

Questions

Questions About Paid Family Caregiving in Washington

Can a spouse be paid to care for their husband or wife in Washington?
No. Washington's rules exclude the spouse from being the paid caregiver; other family members usually can be.
Who can be the paid caregiver in Washington?
Adult children, siblings, other relatives, friends and neighbors who enroll as individual providers through the state's contracted employer; not a spouse.
Is there a waitlist for Medicaid home care in Washington?
Community First Choice and Medicaid Personal Care (state plan): no waitlist (Individual providers are employed by Consumer Direct Care Network Washington, the single state-contracted employer; home care agencies may not bill for family-member workers except narrow statutory exceptions). COPES waiver: not yet verified (Personal care delivered by the same individual providers and agencies).
Who decides eligibility?
The state program, never The Home Care Agency. The Home Care Agency is a free enrollment matching service — not a home care agency, not a Medicaid plan, and not a government agency. This research is educational. Eligibility, authorized hours and payment are always determined by the state program and, where applicable, the managed care plan.